अपश्यमानस्तमृषिं तथा चोक्तस्तया च सः। तां दृष्ट्वा च वरारोहां श्रीमतीं चारुहासिनीम्
Not seeing the sage, and having been told thus by her, the king beheld that noble maiden, radiant and lovely in her smile.
विभ्राजमानां वपुषा तपसा च दमेन च। रूपयौवनसंपन्नामित्युवाच महीपतिः
Shining with beauty, with her austerity and self-restraint, endowed with form and youth, the king spoke to her.
का त्वं कस्यासि सुश्रोणि किमर्थं चागता वनम्। एवंरूपगुणोपेता कुतस्त्वमसि शोभने
'Who are you, O fair-hipped one? Whose daughter are you, and for what purpose have you come to the forest? From where have you come, O lovely one, adorned with such beauty and virtues?'
दर्शनादेव हि शुभे त्वया मेऽपहृतं मनः। इच्छामि त्वामहं ज्ञातुं तन्ममाचक्ष्व शोभने
'For at the very sight of you, O auspicious one, my heart has been carried away. I wish to know you—tell me, O beautiful one.'
स्थितोस्म्यमितसौभाग्ये विवक्षुश्चास्मि किंचन। शृणु मे नागनासोरु वचनं मत्तकाशिनि
'I stand here, O slender-waisted one, desiring to speak something; listen to my words, O one with serpent-shaped thighs, shining like an intoxicated elephant.'
राजर्षेरन्वये जातः पूरोरस्मि विशेषतः। वृण्वे त्वामद्य सुश्रोणि दुष्यन्तो वरवर्णिनि
'Born in the line of royal sages, I am especially of the race of Puru. Today, O fair-hipped and radiant one, Duṣyanta chooses you.'
न मेऽन्यत्र क्षत्रियाया मनो जातु प्रवर्तते। ऋषिपुत्रीषु चान्यासु नावरासु परासु च
'My heart does not incline toward any other Kṣatriya woman, nor toward any other sage’s daughter, whether inferior or superior.'
तस्मात्प्रणिहितात्मानं विद्दि मां कलभाषिणि। यस्यां मे त्वयि भावोऽस्ति क्षत्रिया ह्यसि का वदा
'Therefore, know me as one whose mind is fixed upon you, O sweet-voiced one, in whom I have this feeling. You are a Kṣatriya—tell me, who are you?'
न हि मे भीरु विप्रायां मनः प्रसहते गतिम्। भजे त्वामायतापाङ्गे भक्तं भजितुमर्हसि। भुङ्क्ष राज्यं विशालाक्षि बुद्धिं मात्वन्यथा कृथाः
'Indeed, O timid one, my heart does not move toward a Brāhmaṇa maiden. I seek you, O wide-eyed one; you should accept one who is devoted. Enjoy the kingdom, O large-eyed one, and do not think otherwise.'
एवमुक्ता तु सा कन्या तेन राज्ञा तमाश्रमे। उवाच हसती वाक्यमिदं सुमधुराक्षरम्
Thus addressed by the king in that hermitage, the maiden replied with a smile, her words sweet and gentle.
कण्वस्याहं भगवतो दुष्यन्त दुहिता मता। तपस्विनो धृतिमतो धर्मज्ञस्य महात्मनः
'I am considered the daughter of the venerable Kaṇva, O Duṣyanta, the ascetic, steadfast, and righteous great soul.'
अस्वतन्त्रास्मि राजेन्द्र काश्यपो मे गुरुः पिता। तमेव प्रार्थय स्वार्थं नायुक्तं कर्तुमर्हसि
'I am not independent, O king; Kāśyapa is my teacher and father. Seek your purpose from him alone; you should not act otherwise.'
ऊर्ध्वरेता महाभागे भगवाँल्लोकपूजितः। चलेद्धि वृत्ताद्धर्मोपि न चलेत्संशितव्रतः
'The venerable one, honored by the world, is of pure vows, O illustrious one. Even if virtue wavers, he of firm vows does not.'
कथं त्वं तस्य दुहिता संभूता वरवर्णिनी। संशयो मे महानत्र तन्मे छेत्तुमिहार्हसि
'How, O radiant one, were you born as his daughter? I have a great doubt about this—please dispel it for me here.'
यथाऽयमागमो मह्यं यथा चेदमभूत्पुरा। `अन्यथा सन्तमात्मानमन्यथा सत्सु भाषते
Just as this event has come to me, and as it happened before, he speaks differently among others, though his own nature is otherwise.
स पापेनावृतो मूर्खस्तेन आत्मापहारकः।' शृणु राजन्यथातत्त्वं यथाऽस्मि दुहिता मुनेः
That fool, covered by sin, thus becomes a thief of his own self; listen, O king, to the true account of how I am the daughter of the sage.
ऋषिः कश्चिदिहागम्य मम जन्माभ्यचोदयत्। `ऊर्ध्वरेता यथासि त्वं कुतस्त्वेयं शकुन्तला
Once, a certain sage came here and questioned me about my birth: 'Since you are one whose seed is held upward, how then is this Shakuntala yours?'
पुत्री त्वत्तः कथं जाता तत्त्वं मे ब्रूहि काश्यप।' तस्मै प्रोवाच भगवान्यथा तच्छृणु पार्थिवा
'How did a daughter arise from you? Tell me the truth, O Kashyapa.' To him, the venerable one replied as it was; hear that, O king.
तप्यमानः किल पुरा विश्वामित्रो महत्तपः। सुभृशं तापयामास शक्रं सुरगणेश्वरम्
Long ago, Vishvamitra, possessed of great austerity, was performing severe penance, and he greatly troubled Shakra, the lord of the gods.
तपसा दीप्तवीर्योऽयं स्थानान्मां च्यावयेदिति। भीतः पुरन्दरस्तस्मान्मेनकामिदमब्रवीत्
'By the power of his blazing austerity, he may cast me down from my place,' so, afraid of him, Purandara spoke these words to Menaka.
गुणैरप्सरसां दिव्यैर्मेनके त्वं विशिष्यसे। श्रेयो मे कुरु कल्याणि यत्त्वां वक्ष्यामि तच्छृणु
'Among the celestial nymphs, you, Menaka, excel in virtues; do me a favor, blessed one, listen to what I will tell you.'
असावादित्यशङ्काशो विश्वामित्रो महातपाः। तप्यमानस्तपो घोरं मम कम्पयते मनः
'That great ascetic Vishvamitra, radiant as the sun, is performing fierce penance, and he is shaking my mind.'
मेनके तव भारोऽयं विश्वामित्रः सुमध्यमे। शंसितात्मा सुदुर्धर्ष उग्रे तपसि वर्तते
'Menaka, this task is yours: Vishvamitra, O slender-waisted one, is resolute and nearly impossible to disturb, established in fierce austerity.'
स मां न च्यावयेत्स्थानात्तं वै गत्वा प्रलोभय। चर तस्य तपोविघ्नं कुरु मे प्रियमुत्तमम्
'Go and entice him so that he does not cast me down from my position; disrupt his penance and do me this great favor.'
रूपयौवनमाधुर्यचेष्टितस्मितभाषणैः। लोभयित्वा वरारोहे तपसस्तं निवर्तय
'With beauty, youth, sweetness, gestures, smiles, and speech, O lovely-hipped one, entice him and turn him away from his penance.'
महातेजाः स भगवांस्तथैव च महातपाः। कोपनश्च तथा ह्येनं जानाति भगवानपि
'He is a great and radiant sage, possessed of immense austerity and quick to anger; even the Lord knows this about him.'
तेजस्तपसश्चैव कोपस्य च महात्मनः। त्वमप्युद्विजसे यस्य नोद्विजेयमहं कथम्
'Of his energy, austerity, and wrath, even you are afraid, yet how is it that I would not be afraid?'
महाभागं वसिष्ठं यः पुत्रैरिष्टैर्व्ययोजयत्। क्षत्रजातश्च यः पूर्वमभवद्ब्राह्मणो बलात्
'He who deprived the greatly fortunate Vasishtha of his beloved sons, and who, though born a kshatriya, forcibly became a brahmin.'
शौचार्थं यो नदीं चक्रे दुर्गमां बहुभिर्जलैः। यां तां पुण्यतमां लोके कौशिकीति विदुर्जनाः
'He who, for the sake of purity, created a river difficult to cross and full of waters, which people in the world know as the most sacred Kausiki.'
बभार यत्रास्य पुरा काले दुर्गे महात्मनः। दारान्मतङ्गो धर्मात्मा राजर्षिर्व्याधतां गतः
'Where, in former times, in that difficult place, the great-souled sage's wife was once supported by Matanga, the righteous royal sage who had become a hunter.'